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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. deal — to handle
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. object — a thing
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. object — to protest
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. object — an aim
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chest — a box

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com